Federal prosecutors alleged that Johnson & Johnson paid one of the nation’s largest pharmacies serving nursing homes “tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks” to increase sales of drugs including blockbuster antipsychotic Risperdal.
At least 10 families have filed lawsuits against the makers of Risperdal and Invega, alleging that the antipsychotic medications, often used to treat attention deficit disorder and autism, caused teen boys to grow breasts measuring as large as a 38D cup size in some cases.
“It is a worrisome trend, partly because very little is known about the short-term, let alone the long-term, safety of these drugs in this age group,” said study author Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University in New York City.
Prescriptions for psychiatric drugs increased 50 percent with children in the US, and 73 percent among adults, from 1996 to 2006, according to a study in the May/June 2009 issue of the journal Health Affairs. The CIA “World Factbook” estimate the world population to be about 6.8 billion and the US population to be a mere 307 million. In an April 2008 report, the market research firm Datamonitor reported that the “US dominates the ADHD market with a 94 percent market share.”
FDA drug reviewers said medical researchers have found a direct link between the use of so-called atypical antipsychotics (Seroquel, Zyprexa, Abilify, Risperdal) in younger children and weight gain, high cholesterol, and increased blood pressure.